Local

AMMAN — The Energy Ministry on Thursday warned against stealing electricity as it would likely lead to power cuts, especially in light of the current weather conditions affecting the country.

“During winter and the depression that is currently affecting the country, the power load rises rapidly and when some resort to stealing electricity, this will further increase the load on the grid, which leads to power cuts,” Haidar Gammaz, spokesperson of the ministry, told The Jordan Times.

The official urged citizens to ration the use of energy during the prevailing weather conditions.

The national grid’s maximum capacity currently stands at 3,600 megawatt, according to the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO).

The load on the grid reached 2,850MW on Thursday morning, NEPCO Production Design Director Amin Zaghal told the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Gammaz added that the current reserve of fuel derivatives is sufficient and the country’s power generation plants are ready to face the expected load on the grid during winter.

He said the ministry has taken several measures over the past few days to ensure the continued supply of electricity across the Kingdom. 

The ministry has also opened an emergency room at its premises to coordinate with all authorities and power companies to ensure continued supply of fuel derivatives as well, Gammaz said.

Earlier this week, Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission Chief Commissioner Farouq Hiyari said all the country’s power plants took the necessary measures to meet the expected demand on electricity.

According to Hiyari, more than 7,000 cases of electricity thefts were detected since the beginning of this year due to increased enforcement and crackdown on violators.

Electricity theft is estimated to cost the Kingdom about JD60 million annually. 

Current laws stipulate that any person involved in stealing electricity faces between six months and two years in prison and a fine of no less than JD2,000 and no more than JD10,000, or both penalties. 

AMMAN — Downpour and snow are forecast on Friday as the impact of a "very cold" polar front is expected to deepen, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said on Thursday.

The polar front, which started affecting the Kingdom on Thursday blowing from Eastern Europe, will cause temperatures to drop on Friday eight degrees below their annual average of 13ºC during this time of the year, a JMD meteorologist said.

"A tangible drop in mercury levels is expected on Friday. The weather will be very cold, cloudy and rainy with thunder, lightning and hail also expected. Strong gusty winds are also forecast reaching 60-70 kilometres per hour," the forecaster told The Jordan Times.

Snow is expected on Friday, he said, underscoring that areas 1,000 metres above sea level and higher are expected to witness accumulating snow, while areas 800 metres above sea level will start seeing snow by nightfall.

Tlaa Al Ali, Rabiah, Jubeiha, Khalda, University of Jordan area, Dahiyat Al Rashid, Sweileh and Um Al Summaq are among the capital's areas located 1,000 metres above sea level, while Arjan, the Sports City area, Shmeisani, Dahiyat Al Amir Rashid, Um Uthainah, Jabal Hussein, Abdoun, Jabal Luweibdeh, Bayader, Sweifieh, Marj Al Hamam, Shafa Badran, Naour and Jabal Amman are all areas located between 800 and 1,000 metres above sea level, according to an unofficial chart.

"Snow accumulation is expected to range between 10-12 centimetres, depending on the altitude of the area," the meteorologist said.

Temperatures on the first day of the New Year will be 5ºC during the day, dropping to zero at nighttime in the capital, according to the JMD. 

Another slight drop in temperatures is expected on Saturday as the Kingdom remains under the impact of the polar front, according to the JMD, which said that the weather will be very cold, cloudy and rainy, with snowfall expected in high mountains.

"By Saturday night, snowfall and rain will gradually stop, while freezing temperatures are forecast across the Kingdom," the weather forecaster said.

Daytime temperatures on Saturday will be 4ºC, dropping to -1ºC at night in Amman and winds will be northwesterly moderate, turning at night to southwesterly moderate, according to the JMD.

Cold and partly cloudy weather is forecast for Sunday, when the JMD expects ice formation in the morning hours across the country.

Winds will be southwesterly moderate and temperatures will be 7ºC during the day, dropping at night to -1ºC in the capital, according to the JMD.

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Thursday unveiled its plans to ensure public safety ahead of the polar front, expected to bring snow on Friday.

As the impact of the polar front is forecast to bring heavy rain and snow, the municipality announced the highest degree of alert and took several measures to prepare for emergencies, said Izz Eddein Shammout, GAM's deputy director for the city's administrative affairs.

"We have held a meeting today [Thursday] to check on the preparedness of our field operations to deal with weather-related emergencies," he told The Jordan Times.

GAM put its machineries and human resources on alert ahead of the expected front, which according to the Jordan Meteorological Department, is expected to deepen on Friday, causing temperatures to dip well below their annual average.

Snowfall is forecast over high mountains, extending at night to areas 800 metres above sea level and higher, which includes the capital.

A total of 17 salt spreader trucks will be put into service to sprinkle salt to melt ice and snow on roads across the capital, while 92 loaders will be placed in "vital" roads, said Shammout, who noted that for the first time, three six-inch pumps to extract water from tunnels will be used.

"There is also a 20cm water pump that will be used when needed."

Also for the first time, GAM has placed three mobile trailers as emergency units near the 5th, 7th and Interior Ministry circles.

"The trailers are fully equipped and include engineers and labourers who will be ready to assist people around-the-clock," said Shammout, adding that the municipality will seek the cooperation of the private sector.

"We also coordinated with the Public Works Ministry to ensure that the Queen Alia International Airport Highway will remain open during the polar front," he said.

GAM urged residents who will spend New Year's Eve outdoors to be careful.

"We want people to be as careful as possible and celebrate in a responsible way," Shammout said.

GAM’s emergency centre in Tlaa Al Ali will be available to receive complaints on 5359970 and 5359971.

Also on Thursday, the Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO) said it is on maximum alert to deal with any emergencies arising from the weather, citing its preparedness to ensure the sustainability of power supply across Jordan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In a statement, EDCO Director General Hassan Thneibat banned the company's employees from taking leave during the emergency state, noting that the company has coordinated with district governors, departments of public security and civil defence and the concerned ministries.

Meanwhile, Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission President Farouq Hiyari called on electricity companies to "apply their months-long preparation efforts on the ground", reported Petra.

Citing the possibility of a snowstorm during the coming few days, he urged power companies to take the necessary measures and draw up an emergency plan to prevent power cuts.

AMMAN – The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the recruitment of 150 top university achievers in government departments, a move described by Minister of Public Sector Development Khleef Al Khawaldeh as a step to deepen the culture of excellence and innovation in public agencies. 

Following the Council of Ministers’ decision, Khawaldeh told The Jordan Times that the appointment of this tranche of top graduates is the first step in a long process, as the number of excelling graduates hired by the government increase in the coming years. 

He added that a certain ratio of annual vacancies in the public sector would be allocated for top achievers.

“The public sector should be a place for achievement and innovation rather than a place for secure jobs,” he said.   

This is one of the tools to be applied to boost the productivity and performance of the public sector, Khawaldeh added, indicating that once recruited, these newcomers will undergo capacity building programmes to sharpen their skills. 

Commenting on recent remarks by president of the Civil Service Bureau Khalaf Hmeisat that only 30 per cent of the top graduates passed evaluation exams, the minister underlined a “misunderstanding” of the process, explaining that the contenders sat for a competition exam not of the pass/fail type.

“We just accepted the best of the best”, he said.

He added that the selection criteria focused on skills and knowledge, which were given 60 per cent of the entire evaluation mark. In the outcome, the best 150 graduates were selected according to their ranking in the selection process. 

Khawaldeh said the graduates would start their work at government departments next month, recording an unprecedented move in the country’s public administration. 

AMMAN — Jordan and Turkey share the responsibility to serve as living examples of moderation and peaceful coexistence in a region plagued with turmoil, said Turkish Ambassador to Jordan Sedat Önal.

This sense of "togetherness" is a key standing point for the two countries to represent the true image of Islam, an issue where much needs to be done, he said Tuesday in a lecture organised by the Middle East Studies Centre.

The diplomat responded to allegations that Turkey supports Daesh through oil purchases, reiterating that Turkey stands against terrorism, which has taken the lives of 20,000 Turks over the past 20 years. 

In addition, Turkey, which, he said, has been targeted by Daesh, is part of the international US-led coalition to fight the terrorism group and puts its airspace and bases at the disposal of the coalition.

Meanwhile, he stressed his country’s belief in the need for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, citing a need for a more comprehensive examination of root causes of the issue, a stance similar to Jordan’s.

The two countries, which host some 4 million Syrian refugees, maintain an open-border policy with Syria, despite the pressure on resources, the diplomat noted.

Meanwhile, he called on the international community to commit to a greater share of the burden, adding that their contributions could be in the form of assistance to countries neighbouring Syria or resettlement of refugees in their countries, like Canada did.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries, which date back to 1947, are based on “unbreakable bonds of friendship and brotherhood”, the diplomat said, adding that the leaders of the two countries are keen on developing relations further.

The free trade agreement between Jordan and Turkey, signed in 2009 and put into force in 2011, as well as the mutual exemption of visas had a major role in boosting bilateral ties, Önal said.

“Now our people know each other more than ever”.

The new Turkish government is working towards enhancing Turkish investments in Jordan and “reenergising” economic cooperation, he said, adding that the two sides are working together to increase Jordanian exports to Turkey.

He also cited cooperation between the two countries in the Disi Water Conveyance Project, as well as a joint venture with the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau to develop defence systems that will be marketed in the region.

AMMAN — The Education Ministry on Wednesday announced its preparedness to run a "smooth" Tawjihi exam session even in case of snowfall.

With the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) expecting a polar front to affect the Kingdom on Thursday, which marks the second day of the start of the General Secondary Certificate Examination, the ministry said it is "well prepared for the worst case scenario".

"However, if we found that there is a need to postpone one of the exams in a particular area due to the weather conditions, we will postpone it at the national level," the ministry's spokesperson, Walid Jallad, told The Jordan Times.

The JMD noted that the impact of the polar front is expected to deepen on Friday, while the weather will start to gradually stabilise as of Saturday night.

Some 115,000 students sat for the Tawjihi exam on Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat paid a visit to two schools and checked on students, noting that the first day of the exam "went normally with the highest degree of discipline", the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

A total of 1,426 examination halls in the Kingdom have been equipped for this session, in addition to one hall outside the country in Tunisia.

Twenty-seven inmates at the Kingdom's correctional and rehabilitation centres are sitting for the current Tawjihi winter session, according to Petra.

A total of 158,819 students have registered for the Tawjihi winter session, Thneibat said earlier this week.

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a May Criminal Court ruling acquitting a woman of murdering her six-year-old son in October 2013.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant innocent of injecting gasoline in her son, who suffered from autism, on October 19 for lack of evidence.

The prosecution had charged the woman with injecting the petroleum substance in her son to "get rid of him because she was frustrated by his disorder".

However, the Criminal Court ruled that the prosecution "failed to present any evidence that would prove that the mother injected gasoline into her son's body".

The Cassation Court, which issued its ruling recently, ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures and its verdict was correct.

The Cassation Court tribunal comprised judges Mahmoud Ababneh, Basel Abu Anzeh, Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Tarawneh and Daoud Tubeleh.

AMMAN — The Jordan Jewellers Association (JJA) on Wednesday warned against attempts by several groups to defraud people by convincing them that they can sell them gold at low prices.

The association said such attempts have increased over the past two years and that almost every week or two a case is reported to it, JJA President Osama Imseeh told The Jordan Times.

“Some individuals and groups randomly call citizens and tell them they have 10,000 gold liras for example and they cannot go directly to traders to sell them so they want to sell to those citizens the gold for cheaper prices than in the market,” Imseeh said.

“Those individuals give the buyers some real gold liras as a sample of what they have and ask them to go to jewellers to check. After that, they ask them to bring the money to a certain location, where they threaten them with weapons, take all the money and run away,” he added.

“The problem is that those who are victims of the fraud do not complain, fearing shame and disgrace. Only a very small number report these incidents. It is all because of greed,” Imseeh said.

He added that the Public Security Department has repeatedly warned against such fraud attempts, and people should report anything they feel is suspicious to the police.

According to Imseeh, on Tuesday, 24-karat gold was worth JD 24.30 per gramme, 21-karat was sold for JD 20.70 per gramme and the price of 18-karat amounted to JD 17.20 per gramme.  

There are about 625 jewellery stores and around 100 gold factories across the Kingdom.

AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday signed a grant agreement with the German Development Bank (KfW) to finance a solar plant to produce electricity for the Zaatari camp and refugee host communities at a value of 15 million euros, according to a statement from the Ministry of Planning and International cooperation.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury and Energy Minsiter Ibrahim Saif signed the agreement with the bank. 

The project, one of the priority projects in the Jordan Response Plan 2015, aims at addressing the rising demand on power in the northern region brought on by the increased numbers of Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Signing this agreement comes within the context of bilateral cooperation between the governments of Jordan and Germany in development and humanitarian fields, especially in issues related to Syrian refugees in Jordan, the ministry statement said.

Fakhoury thanked Germany for its constant support to Jordan through grants, technical assistance and soft loans to fund projects in the energy sector. 

In the context of technical cooperation, the Jordanian and German sides also signed another grant agreement of 3.5 million euros to finance transforming solid waste into energy. 

The project aims at collecting, segregating or recycling solid waste to reduce the negative environmental effects on refugee host communities in the northern region.

Fakhoury and Municipal Affairs Minister Waleed Masri signed the agreement with the German Development Cooperation.

Germany has recently pledged to allocate 127.9 million euros as additional assistance to Jordan. Out of this amount, 45 million euros were allocated as soft loans, 30 million euros as grants, and 22.9 million euros as technical assistance. 

Assistance also included earmarking 30 million euros as additional grants to support Syrian refugees and host communities through UNICEF to support water, wastewater and education sectors.

AMMAN — A total of 56,000 special IDs have been issued to children of Jordanian women married to foreigners, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said on Wednesday.

Hammad's remarks came during a meeting that brought together Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and several ministers with members of the Lower House-based "Mubadara" group to follow up on the issue of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Mubadara's coordinator, MP Mustafa Hamarneh, said the meeting was primarily meant to look into removing obstacles hindering transactions for the children of Jordanian women at public agencies.

Officials said those facing difficulties in issuing a driving licence should report to the concerned administrative governor to resolve the issue, Petra reported.

Attendees also agreed that the issue of applications by children of Jordanian women married to foreigners to public universities' parallel programmes will be referred to the Higher Education Council, which in turn, will refer them to the trustee boards of universities.

Members of Mubadara voiced hope that children of Jordanian women will be treated the same as Jordanians applying to the parallel programme, which targets students with scores that do not qualify them to study specific subjects.

In recent remarks to The Jordan Times, Hamarneh said Mubadara has adopted the cause of citizenship rights for the children of Jordanian women married to foreigners, stressing that it will continue coordinating with the government to resolve the issue.

The government has set up a special unit at the Interior Ministry to follow up on the implementation of the special regulations related to the issue of Jordanian women married to foreigners.

Last year, the government announced that it was granting children of Jordanian women married to foreigners certain privileges.

The privileges are granted to provide that their mothers have been residing in Jordan for a minimum of five years, including 180 days every year, according to the Civil Status and Passports Department (CSPD)

Government officials have said in the past that there are 88,983 Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians and these families have 355,932 children registered with the CSPD.

Speaking at Wednesday's meeting, Ensour said the Mubadara group is a "unique parliamentary phenomenon" and a translation of programme-based parliamentary work which "we should support", Petra reported.